The experiences of women convicted of serious violence is under-researched. In probation practice, this translates into a corresponding lack of investment in offending behaviour programmes and interventions specifically focussed on working with women’s violence and its origins. The Female Offender Strategy (MoJ, 2018) promotes a trauma-informed and gender-responsive approach to working with women within the criminal justice system and highlights the importance of taking a specialist approach. Given the lack of research on which to base such an approach however, specifically in relation to women convicted of serious violence, the current study focussed on attempting to capture this perspective using qualitative semi-structured interviews with seven women convicted of serious violence.

This research explores the experiences of five women convicted of murder who have participated in the Democratic Therapeutic Community (DTC) intervention at HM Prison Send. The study aimed to understand the experience of changing sense of self and identity. A subsidiary aim is to understand the mechanisms that facilitated the reported change by paying attention to the participant’s subjective experience and the objective external constructs. This study employs the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology. Participants who completed or partially completed the intervention reported positive changes relating to their sense of self, identity, and hopes for a crime-free future. However, participants described feeling overwhelmed during their participation and encountering numerous obstacles. Notably, participants reported that the positive change was not always identifiable until after they left the DTC. This study contributes insights into the distinctive contextual factors reflected in the women's experiences.

Incidence of trauma amongst women involved in the criminal justice system is significantly higher
than that of the general population and is regularly linked with women’s offending. In recent years
there has been growing interest in trauma-informed practice which seeks to recognise and respond
to the prevalence of trauma. This interest has spread to the criminal justice sector, with numerous
prisons, probation services and the third sector in the UK all experimenting with implementing
trauma-informed approaches. Contact with a legal professional is a common thread that runs
through many women’s journeys through the criminal justice system but, in the UK at least, has not
been explored as an area in which the aforementioned trauma-informed practices could be utilised.
Through hearing the voices of women that have worked with lawyers and the voices of lawyers
themselves, this study seeks to examine the extent to which trauma-informed approaches could be
usefully implemented at this ‘touchpoint’ in the criminal justice system and whether lawyers could
become part of the trauma-informed offer for women.

This research explores the testimonies of mothers who have experienced arguably two of the most extreme state interventions: a custodial sentence and the adoption of a child. Building on studies around maternal imprisonment and maternal rights, the research aims to explore protective factors for this group through a matricentric approach.

Findings are based on interviews with three birth mothers, two Probation Officers, two Social Workers, and five support workers and managers from various third sector agencies supporting women.

Though a small sample size, the findings show consensus among the Mothers and practitioners around the histories of trauma for birth mothers, where the removal of children then constituted a further trauma. Gender-specific approaches and therapeutic support are needed to break this cycle that can otherwise lead to involvement in both criminal and family courts, where poor interagency communication breaks down trust in professionals, acting as a barrier to mothers asking for support. Findings also identified the profound grief and loss experienced by the Mothers, and the hope (and likelihood) of future contact with birth children. Practitioners must think long-term, considering the effect that their words and the inclusion of recorded views of birth family may have on future reconciliatory relationships.

This research calls for a greater understanding of the impact of traumatic experiences on women in the criminal justice system, and for improved support for birth mothers, concluding with recommendations for improvements to both policy and practice.